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Ben Stokes smashed his first World Cup century as England picked up a comfort win over Netherlands and raised their prospects of salvaging a spot on the Champions Trophy.
The 2019 champions arrived in Pune for a bottom-of-the-table conflict with a five-match shedding streak behind them and the data that one other slip up would see them miss out on ODI cricket’s subsequent world occasion in 2025.
However regardless of wobbling as soon as once more with the bat – going from 133 for one to 192 for six – Stokes had the need and talent to hold his facet to a 160-run victory.
He struck 108 from 84 balls, grafting arduous to start with then accelerating sharply, to carry England to an imposing 339 for 9.
That was all the time going to be too many for a Dutch facet who lacked the firepower to match Stokes they usually wilted for 179 all out.
With two factors and a wholesome increase to their web run-rate England climbed from tenth to seventh in a single leap, overtaking their opponents, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Like a number of of his team-mates, Stokes could also be within the ultimate week of his one-day profession however he shouldered the duty yet another time and warded off the dwell prospect of a calamitous defeat to the one affiliate nation within the competitors.
In doing so he ticked off one of many solely empty squares on his worldwide bingo card: a ton on the World Cup stage.
Former England team-mate Steve Harmison this week referred to as for Stokes to be despatched house early for his deliberate knee surgical procedure, in a bid to hasten his restoration for the India Check collection, however he would have been sorely missed right here.
Jonny Bairstow continued his lean spell with an unpleasant top-edge for 15 however opening companion Dawid Malan reeled off a fluent 87 to set England up within the powerplay.
His first six scoring pictures have been boundaries and there have been 4 extra earlier than his half-century, however England have been about to play themselves into pointless hassle.
Joe Root had already performed one in all his favorite reverse ramps over the wicketkeeper’s head when he formed to repeat the shot towards Logan van Beek.
On this occasion his timing was off and the pre-meditated stroke changed into a painful self-own. Failing even to wave the bat within the course of the ball, he merely opened up his stance, allowed himself to be nutmegged and was bowled.
It was an unusually inelegant method for Root to go and issues received worse within the subsequent over as Malan torched his possibilities of a second century on the event, run out chasing a non-existent single.
Immediately one other English collapse gave the impression to be brewing and the center order promptly fell into line.
Harry Brook’s return to the XI after three video games out fell flat, pulling Bas de Leede to deep square-leg for 11, earlier than Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali provided the form of catching follow that will be deemed too light for fielding drills.
Stokes had watched 4 wickets fall since arriving and set about shoring issues up. He didn’t rating a single boundary between the twenty ninth and forty third over, and provided a difficult likelihood to fine-leg on 41, however made certain to money in on his arduous work.
Having reached his half-century in 58 deliveries, he wanted simply 20 extra to achieve three figures. Aryan Dutt shelled 24 off his final over, De Leede 34 from his final two. Stokes unloaded 4 sixes in 10 balls and introduced up his hundred with a reverse sweep for 4.
Chris Woakes added a breezy 51 in a 129-run stand for the seventh wicket and, by the point Stokes holed out with two balls left, the job was nicely on the best way to being achieved.
By the top of Netherlands’ powerplay it was virtually full. Max O’Dowd flapped Woakes to mid-off to get issues shifting and David Willey had Colin Ackermann caught behind for a duck.
There have been moments of excellent fortune for the Dutch, Wesley Barresi put down on nought and Sybrand Engelbrecht fortunate to get the advantage of the doubt on a disputed catch from Root, however neither got here near getting on prime of the bowling.
Barresi was finally run out after chewing by way of 62 balls for 37 and Willey’s return accounted for Engelbrecht.
England’s spinners took over from there on, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali sharing the final six wickets down the center.
Moeen’s three for 42 represented his first wickets of the marketing campaign, whereas Rashid took his tally to 13 because the pair weaved their method by way of all however Teja Nidamanuru (41no).
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